Air conditioning apparatus



July 12, 1960 K. SAUTER AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 2, 1956 FIG. I.

INVENTOR KARL SAUTER wmm ATTORNEY.

'ture and humidit y to a given area.

Patented July 12', 1960 2,944,628 7 AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Karl saute 'uitikom am Albis, Switzerland, assignor to Luwa Ltd., Zurich, Switzerland nation. 2, 1956, set. No. 613,507

11 Claims. (Cl. 18332) invention relates to an improvement in air conditioning equipment, more particularly to air conditioning equipment designed to permit control of the temperature, and humidity conditions in a given area, as well as permitting control of the relative amounts of outside and inside air admitted to the area. v

The air conditioning equipment here provided is designed with specific reference to applicationin textile mill installations, but is not to be taken as limited thereto. In a textile mill, control of humidity conditions of the ambient atmosphere in the mill becomes quite crucial since the quality of the yarnproduced in said mill is to a large extent dependent on the humidity of the ambient surroundings. Thus, excessively dry air tends to make the yarn fibers brittle, and subjectto the retention of electrostatic charges whereby they tend to break. On the other hand, excessively humid conditions result in a sagging of the yarn fibers intheir passage through the machinery, as well as a tendency of the hygroscopic fibers to adhere to the machinery components.

Conventional textile mill humidification procedures employ a spray nozzle arranged above the textile equipment and functioning to add a'given amount of moisture to the area. The resultant stratiiication of air streams is, however, round undesirable.

It is with the above problems in mind that the present constructionh-as' been evolved, a construction providing means for introducing air of relatively uniform tempera- It is accordingly a primary 'bject of thi's invention to provide an improved air conditioning apparatus,

A further object of this invention is topiovide an air conditioning apparatus designed to provide a given area with air of desired humidity. 1

An additional objectof this invention is to provide conditioning equipmentin which the relative amonnts of 'fresh air, and recirculated can readily be controlled.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a relatively simple and inexpensive humidification structure pai'ticiilarly adaptedfor use in textile mills.

These and other objects of the invention which will become apparent from the following disclosnre and claims are achieved by provision'of means comprising a'mixing chamber having inlet orifices which can be regulated to admit to the mixing chamber varyingquantities ofinside or outside air. A heat exchanger is provided for heating the air which is admitted to the chamber and the air in the mixingchamber is thereafter directed; past a moistening member prior to distribution to the area to be conditioned. g j,

The specific constructional features of theinvent ion, and their mode of operationwill be made mostmanifest and particularly pointed out in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: a

Fig. 1 represents schematically a longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 is a cross'sectional view through a modified form of the apparatus according to the present invention.

2 V n with a cylindrical movable case 29 for themixing chamber 2. A cfianfl driven by the motor 3-is provided as a means of drawing inair. The stream of air issuing irom the mixing chamber 2 'enters the humiditication chamber 5 in which a water distributing disc rotated by the motor 3 produces from a stream of water fed through the pipe '7 a mist which humidiiies the air, which passes'throughthe distributing duct 8 to the room to be air-conditioned: Any

surplus Water collects in a channel at the bottom or humidification chamber 5 and can drain away through drain pipe 14. i

The movable case 29 is surrounded by a relatively'fixed 1 "housing 9, to form an annular intake channel 10 for the inside room air to be recirculated. A heat exchanger 15, comprising a large number of pipes bent in circular shape and provided with transverse connecting members, is arranged in the annular intake channel 10 for heating or possibly cooling the air drawn in.

Thehousing 9 is fixed on drum 28 in a self-supporting manner by means of the end plate 13. It projects bebeyond the relatively fixed drum 28 and extends coainally along the movable case 29. At the front portion of the housing 9 the whole apparatus is' secured in the wall of a building and the front plate 12 of the housing 9 as well as the sealed end plate 30 of the case '29 are incommunication with the outsideair. e p e The annular intake channel 10 with the heat exchanger 15 connects with the recirculated air through the recirculated air apertures 11 and with the mixing chamber '2 through the slot-like inlet orifices 33in the 'cas'e29. Depending on the position of the movable case 29 relative to the: drum 28 the inlet orifices 36 project to a greater or lesser extent-from the front plate 12 into the outside air. In this way it is possible to combine recirculated inside air and fresh outside air in any proportion in the mixing chamber 2 by sliding the movable case 29in the direction of the arrow 31. When the case 29 is in its extreme retracted position, the flange-like edge of-the end plate 30 abuts against the front plate 12 so that the apparatus is completely sealed againstthe outside air, We

Where it is necessary or desi-rablet'o raise the temperature bf the air in the conditioned area,' the heat exchanger can be heated, for exampl'e by steam. Thereaiter, by

sliding the case 29, the proportions of out-side and recirculating air can be regulated in the mixing chamber 2 and the air conditions of the room adjusted as required. I

shaft 23 and the motor '24, the case can be displaced Fig. 1 represents a device for.air-conditioning rooms to an infinite number of positions in an axial dir'ection so that the cross-sections for the admission of outside air and recirculated to the mixing chamber vary inversely, i.e. the one cross-section increases in proportion as the other decreases. The mechanism for efliecting axial displacement of the mixing chamber can be autornatically controlled for the purpose'of varyingthe crosssections of the intakes by one or more regulatingn'iechanisms in order to keep the air conditions in the room in question constant. I p V e e I A filter gauze 36 or a flat material with a filtering effect is stretched over the external jacket 9. A variant ot particular advantage according to Fig. 2 entails mounting a breadthof such a filtering material about the externalhousing so that it is free to move. I-Ier'e a supporting frame 35 of rods or perforated sheet, carriedby the rollers 34, runs on the external housing9 and on this firam'e the filter material 36 is stretched. The supporting frame 35, which is rotatable relative to the external housby the stepping armature 38 of the magnet 39 as soon as the magnet 39 is excited by the relay 40. Along the whole width of the supporting frame 35 covered by the filter material 36 there extends furthermore a suction tube 41,'whose slot-shaped nozzle 42 serves to suck deposits from themoving breadth of material. The arrangement could also be reversed in which case the filter is'stationary and the suction nozzle arranged so'that it is rotatable round the filter, it also'being conceivable to employ several suction nozzles which would each function in conjunction with one part of the filter surface.

Naturally the mixing chamber need be only approximately co-axial with the intake channel at least partially surrounding it, and both may be rectangular or polygonal in cross-section.

In Figs. '1 and 2 less important structural parts have not been drawn and the design is represented schematically. For example, suitably perforated sheets, mesh, or gauze wire may be employed to cover inlet orifices 33. The external jacket housing 9 can also take the form simply of a supporting framework for a perforated sheet.

Finally it should be pointed out that the co-axial arrangement of the mixing chamber and at least one intake channel could also take the form of a cylindrical intake channel situated internally and an annular mixing chamber surrounding it.

The ventilating apparatus of the embodiment described in principle above is particularly simple in construction and suitable for mass production. Moreover it renders possible a space-saving arrangement of both a largesurface filter With small air-resistance to the circulating air and an air-heater with relatively long pipes which is free from thermal stresses, whereas the provision of a weather protector on prior art devices is generally ineffective. The mode of function of the novel device enables the outside and recirculated air to be mixed with particular thoroughness in a compact structure from which the air may be easily conducted to the area 'to be conditioned.

The above disclosure has been given by way of illustration and elucidation, and not by way of limitation, and it is desired to protect all embodiments of the herein disclosed inventive concept, Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. In an air conditioning apparatus comprising: a movable case encompassing a mixing chamber; said case having an inlet orifice selectively in communication with a source of fresh air and/or a source of recirculated air for the admission of either or both fresh and recirculated air to the mixing chamber; a fan operatively positioned in conjunction with said mixing chamber to cause flow of an air stream thereinto; a relatively fixed housing surrounding said movable case, said housing having recirculated air apertures; a filter positioned over the apertures in said housing; and a heat exchanger arranged in the air stream produced by said fan, whereby the relative amounts of fresh air and recirculated air may be controlled by moving the movable case with respect to said housing to change the relative amounts of recirculated air and fresh air admitted to the mixing chamber through the inlet orifice.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1, comprising: a front plate on said housing, said movable case and said relatively fixed housing being cylindrical in form, and said case being co-axial with the housing, one end of said case extending through the front plate of said housing; a flanged end plate closing off the extending end of said case, the flange of said plate in one limiting position of the case abutting against the front plate of said housing; and a drum containing said fan fixedly arranged with respect to said movable case, and co-axial therewith.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1, in which: air moistening means are provided in conjunction with said fan.

4. Apparatus as in claim 1, in which: means are provided for moving said movable case.

5. Apparatus as in claim 1, in which: a suction nozzle is provided adjacent said filter, means for effecting relative motion between said filter and suction nozzle, whereby the suction nozzle removes any residue accumulating on the filter.

6. Apparatus as in claim 5, in which: said suction nozzle is maintained in a relatively stationary position, and said filter is rotatably mounted with respect to said housing.

7. Air conditioning apparatus comprising: a housing having a peripheral wall provided with recirculated air inlet apertures, and a front plate containing an aperture; a filter mounted on said housing and covering said inlet apertures; a movable case encompassing a mixing chamber slidably mounted in'said housing, said case projecting through said front plate aperture, the cross-section of said front plate aperture substantially corresponding to the cross-section of said case, said case having'air inlet orifices. arranged adjacent said front plate, said orifices connecting said mixing chamber with a source of outside air over a portion of said orifices and with the interior of said housing over another portion of said orifices, the respective areas of said portions being infinitely and in-- versely variable by displacement of said mixing chamber case with respect to said housing; a fan arranged within said case; and a heat exchanger enclosed by said housing and situated in the path of recirculated air entering said air inlet apertures and flowing through said portion of the air inlet orifices in said case connected with the interior ofsaid housing into said mixing chamber under the action of said fan.

8. Apparatus as in claim 7, in which said mixing chamber comprises: a movable case having orifices therein; a relatively stationary drum telescoping with said case; and a fan in said drum for drawing an air stream therethrough.

9. Air conditioning apparatus comprising: a mixing chamber including a movable case having inlet orifices therein leading to a fresh air source and a recirculated air source; means for moving said case to vary the ratio of recirculated to fresh'air' admitted to said mixing chamber through said orifices; and a heat exchanger arranged in heat exchange relationship in conjunction with said chamber; a housing surrounding said case, said housing having recirculated air intake apertures therein; a plate on said housing surrounding said case and permitting the orificed portion of said case to be adjustably exposed to either or both the fresh air source and the recirculated air source.

9 10. Apparatus as in claim 9, in which said heat exchanger is arranged between said housing and'said case. 11. Apparatus as in claim 8, in which liquid atomizing means are provided in said drum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 348,346 Rosell Aug. 31, 1886 1,332,923 Shurtleif Mar. 9, 1920 1,853,892 Boden Apr. 12, 1932 1,903,939 Payne Apr. 18, 1933 1,927,869 Downs Sept. 26, 1933 1,936,875 Hirschman Nov. 28, 1933 2,021,521 Sargent Nov. 19, 1935 2,130,630 Kohlstad Sept. 20, 1938 2,165,830 Anderson .July 11, 1939 2,169,435 Simpson Aug. 15, 1939 2,197,120 Bergmann Apr. 16, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 815,846 Germany Oct. 22, 1951 

